Blue Mountains National Park
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There are an estimated 900 species of Acacia in Australia. And this includes the Australian Floral Emblem, the Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha) - which is not endemic to the Sydney region.
An index to the Acacia images included below.|
Bloodwood
Hedgehog Wattle Lunate-leaved Acacia |
Ploughshare Wattle
Prickly Moses Sunshine Wattle |
Swamp Wattle
Sweet-scented Wattle Sydney Golden Wattle |
The most common member of the Myrtaceae family is, of course, the eucalypt or gum tree. They have the distinction of giving the Blue Mountains its colour and therefore its name. The blue hue of distant hills is caused by fine droplets of eucalyptus oil in the air.
An index to the Myrtle images included below.|
Eucalypts
Blue Mountain Ash Scribbly Gum Silver-top Ash |
Tea-trees (Leptospermum)
Paperback Tea-tree Pink Tea-tree Prickly Tea-tree Small Leaf Tea-tree Spider Tea-tree Tantoon Woolly Tea-tree |
some of the many others
Darwinia taxifolia Common Fringe Myrtle Pink Buttons Weeping Baeckea |
Other attractions of the Blue Mountains National Park
Mt. Solitary provides the southern wall of the Jamison Valley, and as such is second only to the Three Sisters to catch one's attention at the Queen Elizabeth Lookout at Echo Point, Katoomba.
Mt. Solitary is 960 metres high and over 2km long. To the south of Mt. Solitary is the Cedar and Kedumba Valleys that the Cox's River flows through before entering Warragamba Dam's Lake Burragorang. Cox's River starts its journey north-west of Lithgow.
Select the thumbnail image to see the full image.
 Although flowering for all except the summer months, it's in winter when it's at its best - bringing brilliant splashes of yellow to the bush. The flowers are 1cm wide. Here's another image. |
 Flowering in late winter, it does indeed have a gentle sweet smell. |
 The terete (long and cylindrical) leaves identifies this acacia. It flowers in summer and autumn, and is found in swamps and next to watercourses in the Mid to Upper Blue Mountains. |
 Brilliant yellow flowers in spring, this wattle is identified by the 3-5 flowers in each globe, and the vein in its dull green leaves being off-centre. |
 This spring flowering wattle is identified by two dominant veins in its long leaves (up to 20cm), and two or three less conspicuous ones. |
 A medium size tree - growing to 30 metres, it is identified by the 3-5 or more longitudinal veins on its leaves. |
 By far the most prickly of similar species, this, and its brighter flowers and more pungent pointed leaves identify it. It flowers from winter into spring. |
 Earlier flowering (from April) and paler flowers helps identify Prickly Moses. On closer inspection it has a marked gland angle and longer stipules. |
 The smaller triangular leaves (around 5mm) help identify this little wattle. It flowers from winter into spring. |
Select the thumbnail image to see the full image.
 This species of the unmistakable Scribbly Gum is common in the Blue Mountains. It is also known as the Hard-leaved Scribbly Gum. |
 As the bark ages through the year, it goes from cream to grey, before eventually peeling off in strips in summer. |
 The combination of bark colour, sap and scribbles produces some amazing images. |
 Identified by its red branchlets and the veins of its leaves, this spring flowering eucalypt also has a purple ring around the edge of each flower. |
 Silver-top Ash (gumnuts) The Silver-top Ash is used in the woodchip export industry in Eden. It is also known as Black Ash. |
 Magnificent! Its tall white trunk identifies it - together with the strips of bark around its base. A photo can't capture its grandeur. Here's an image showing its base. |
 Very similar description to L. grandifolium. However, I believe the specimen shown here is L. lanigerum due to its very silky sepals and shorter leaves - many less than 10mm. |
 Similar in description to several species, but its larger flowers (up to 20mm) differentiates it. It also flowers in Autumn, which helps identify it. But to confuse matters, it also flowers in Spring. |
 Also known as the Lemon-scented Tea-tree due to the lemony fragrance of its crushed leaves. Oil dots can be readily seen on its leaves. It produces a mass of flowers in early summer. |
 Characterised by its paperbark bark, it's a small tree that flowers in late spring/early summer. The flowers are 10-15mm across. Here's another image that shows its pubescent (soft covering of soft weak hairs) new growth - both branches and leaves. |
 This shrub is identified by its prickly leaves - its new growth is not prickly and has long appressed hairs. The leaves and flowers are held very tightly to the branches - as this image shows. The 10mm flowers appear in late spring. |
 Being prickly it can be confused with L. juniperinum, however there are several marked distinctions - |
 A small variety of tea-tree (up to 2m high) whose leaves are less than 1cm long and whose petals are barely 5mm. |
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 This plant is found across the southern states of Australia and into Queensland. The thread coming from the tip of each of the five sepals is known as an awn. The petals are about 5mm in length. |
 Kunzeas are distinguished from Tea Trees by the long style coming from the centre of the flower. K. capitata is differentiated from K. parvifolia by its longer leaves - 4-9mm versus 1-4mm. Pink Buttons is also known as Heath Kunzea. |
 The two patches of Darwinia taxifolia I have found in the upper Blue Mountains, are on the most exposed terrain possible. This hardy plant flowers in winter and spring. |
 The 5mm wide flowers appear in summer. The shrub is up to 2 metres high and its weeping form distinguishes it. Here's another image. |